SpotCollector Online Help Contents
SpotCollector's Special Callsign List can be used to accomplish five objectives:
to specify callsigns that should be ignored when spotted, e.g. PIRATE or SLIM
to specify callsigns whose spots should be ignored, and that should be ignored when spotted
to specify callsigns whose Spot Database Entries should not be pruned
to specify callsigns that you wish to work on each of 11 bands ((160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m, 2m), or in each of 3 modes (phone, CW, digital), or on each of the 33 combinations of those 11 bands and 3 modes - as selected by the Leaderboard Settings; these options are useful for Leaderboard competitions
to associate callsigns with groups or activities so they can be rapidly identified when spotted
The Special Callsign List is displayed on the Configuration window's Special Callsigns tab. If the Special Callsign List contains more entries than can be simultaneously displayed, you can scroll through the entries using the vertical scrollbar along the List's right-hand margin. A set of two VCR-style buttons located above the vertical scrollbar give you one-click access to the first and last Special Callsign List Entry.
Each entry on the Special Callsign List contains a callsign, an optional list of one or more alphanumeric tags and an optional expiration date;
A Special Callsign List Entry that specifies no tag means that spots of the Entry's callsign should be ignored
such Special Callsign List Entries are displayed using red font
A Special Callsign List Entry that specifies the single tag BadSource means that spots of the Entry's callsign should be ignored, and that spots sourced by the Entry's callsign should be ignored
such Special Callsign List Entries are displayed using red font
SpotCollector only checks the source (spotting station callsign) for a BadSource tag if the Check Spotting station callsigns for BadSource tags option is enabled
If the spotting station callsign contains a hyphen character, only the characters to its left are used in determining whether a matching Special Callsign List Entry is present; for example, a spot sourced by W3LPL-5 would be ignored if the Special Callsign List contains an entry for W3LPL with a BadSource tag.
After adding a callsign to the Special Callsign List with a BadSource tag, you can permanently delete all Spot Database Entries most recently spotted by that callsign.
A Special Callsign List Entry containing a NoPrune tag prevents Spot Database Entries for that callsign from being pruned
A Special Callsign List Entry containing a PredictSNR tag with the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Probability Prediction setting enabled means that the creation of a Spot Database Entry for that callsign will initiate an SNR & Probability prediction
A Special Callsign List Entry containing a Leaderboard tag means that Spot Database Entries for that callsign will be considered needed as a function of the Leaderboard Options; Spot Database Entries needed for Leaderboard are rendered using the Unworked DX Band or Mode font color
A Special Callsign List Entry containing one or more tags other than BadSource, NoPrune, or Leaderboard means that the Entry's callsign is sought independently of need for award progress; choose a tag that will remind you why the callsign is being sought, e.g. the name of an organization or club to which the callsign's owner belongs
if more than one tag is specified, they should be separated with commas, e.g. EPC, FOC, QCWA
if a tag specifies both an organization and a membership number, they should be separated by a hyphen, e.g. EPC-2640
when a Spot Database Entry is created for such a callsign, it will be rendered using the Tagged Special Callsign font color, its tags field will be populated from the tag list specified in the Special Callsign List Entry, and it will be announced if enabled
SpotCollector's Tag Filter can be used to display all Spot Database Entries that match a specified tag value
A Special Callsign List Entry's expiration date enables you to delete all Entries with expiration dates before the current date by clicking the Delete panel's Expired list entries button
An incoming spot's callsign matches the callsign of an entry in the Special Callsigns list if
the incoming spot's callsign is identical to an entry's callsign (ignoring upper/lower case)
the incoming spot's callsign contains one or two forward slash characters separating the callsign into two or three components, one of which is identical to an entry's callsign (ignoring upper/lower case)
When a spot arrives with the Check Spotting station callsigns for BadSource tags option is enabled, SpotCollector checks to see whether the incoming spot's spotting station callsign matches the callsign of an entry in the Special Callsign list. If a matching entry is found and this entry's tag is BadSource, then the incoming spot is ignored.
If the Check Spotting station callsigns for BadSource tags option is not enabled, or if it is is enabled but the spotting station callsign matches no entry in the Special Callsign list or matches an entry whose tag is not BadSource, then SpotCollector checks to see whether the incoming spot's callsign matches the callsign of an entry in the Special Callsign list. If a matching entry is found and this entry either specifies no tag or specifies the tag BadSource, then the spot is ignored.
If a matching entry is found for the spot's callsign and this entry specifies tags other than BadSource or NoPrune, then SpotCollector will either create or update a Spot Database Entry for the spotted station. Whether creating or updating an Entry,
the Spot Database Entry's tags field will be populated from the tag list specified in the matching Special Callsign List Entry, with each tag in the Special Callsign List Entry enclosed with angle brackets; for example, the tag list
EPC-2640, FOC, QCWA
would set the Spot Database Entry's tags field to
<EPC-2640>, <FOC>, <QCWA>
the Spot Database Entry will be displayed in the specified font color
if not previously announced and either Announce special callsigns is enabled or a QSO with the station would advance your award progress, the Spot Database Entry will be announced
the announcement is preceded by playing the file Special.wav in SpotCollector's Sounds folder. If Special.wav is not present, then the file You Want This One.wav in the General sub-folder of SpotCollector's Sounds folder is played.
settings in the Audio Alarm panel on the Config window's Audio tab allow you to
enable or disable the audio alarm
specify whether the award counters, band, and mode should be announced
specify whether or not the callsign should be announced phonetically
specify that the alarm should be triggered whenever a Spot Database Entry for a tagged Special Callsign is created, or only if this entry passes the Band, Mode, Origin, Continent, and LotW filters.
test the audio alarm to verify proper volume settings
If an incoming spot's callsign contains one or two forward slash characters that separate the callsign into two or three components, then
if any of these components match a Special Callsign List entry that either specifies no tag or specifies a tag of BadSource, the incoming spot will be ignored
if more than one of these components match a Special Callsign List entry that specifies tags other than BadSource, then the tags associated with the left-most of these components is recorded in the Spot Database Entry's tags item in the angle bracket-enclosed format described above
Example: suppose the Special Callsign List contains 7 entries:
Callsign Tag List Expires B SLIM SP3E DXLab W4TV DXLab G6CSY DXLab AA6YQ DXLab, EPC-2640 P portable The Spot Database Entry for the spotted callsign KP2/G6CSY/P would be recorded with its tags set to <DXLab> (rather than portable), because G6CSY is the left-most callsign component to match a Special Callsign List entry. The Spot Database Entry for the spotted callsign KP2/K4CY/P would be recorded with its tags set to <portable>.
You can add an entry to the Special Callsign List directly, or by importing from a comma-delimited text file. To add an entry directly,
scroll to the last row of the list; this row is distinguished by an asterisk in its leftmost cell
click in the Callsign cell of this last row; SpotCollector will immediately create a new row, into which you can type the desired callsign, tags (separated by commas), and expiration date. To add the new entry to the Special Callsign List, strike the Enter key.
To load Special Callsign List Entries from a comma-delimited text file, click the Load button to display a navigation window that lets you specify the file to be loaded. Each line of this file should contain a callsign, followed optionally by a comma and a comma-separated list of tags:
BROKE
W2NRA,DXLabBUST
BOZO
SP3E,DXLab
B0ZO
DX
MUSIC
SLIMW4TV,DXLab
G6CSY,DXLab
V1DEO
VIDEO
BCI
BROADCAST
PIRATE
SL1M
BADK3BZ,DXLab
AA6YQ,DXLab,EPC
FT4TA,Leaderboard,<expires:2014-11-09>
Loading a file containing the above text into your Special Callsign List would specify 15 callsigns to ignore, 6 callsigns to tag as members of the DXLab group, and one callsign to consider "needed" if it hasn't been worked on the entry's band (160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m, 2m) and in the entry's mode (phone, CW, digital). Note that an entries expiration date is conveyed with an <expires: yyyy-mm-dd> tag; this must be the last tag specified.
If a line of a comma-delimited file being loaded contains a callsign already present in Special Callsign List, then
if the line does not specify a tag, then the tag list in the existing Special Callsign List Entry will be cleared.
if the line specifies a single BadSource tag, then the tag list in the existing Special Callsign List Entry will be set to BadSource
if the line specifies one or more tags other than BadSource, any new tags will be appended to the tag list in the existing Special Callsign List
if the line specifies an expiration date, the existing entry's expiration date will be set to the later of the two expiration dates
Membership lists for several amateur radio clubs are available in files formatted for direct loading into SpotCollector's Special Callsign List:
Ham Clubs (070, DMC, FH, 1010, FISTS, SKCC, FOC, NAQCC, FPQRP, HSC, OQRS Users, ClubLog DXPeds, Special Event Stations, ILLW), maintained by David KJ4IZW
If one or more loaded entries specified a Leaderboard tag, SpotCollector will offer you the opportunity to recompute the award progress of all Spot Database Entries. After adding entries to the Special Callsign List that don't specify a Leaderboard tag, recomputing the award progress of existing entries in the Spot Database will update them to reflect Special Callsign status.
You can arrange the Special Callsign list in ascending order of Callsign by clicking the Sort button.
You can save the contents of the Special Callsign list to a comma-delimited text file by clicking the Save button; SpotCollector will display a navigation window that lets you specify the name and location of the file to be save.
To clear the Special Callsign List, click the Clear button. This is useful as a prelude to re-loading the list from one or more text files. If any deleted Special Callsign List entry specified a Leaderboard tag, SpotCollector will offer you the opportunity to recompute the award progress of all Spot Database Entries.
Deleting an entry from the Special Callsign List
To delete an entry from the Special Callsign List, select entry by clicking in its leftmost cell (this cell is shaded) and then click the Delete from Special Callsign List panel's Selected list entry button. If the deleted entry specified a Leaderboard tag, SpotCollector will selectively recompute the award progress of each Spot Database Entry for the deleted entry's callsign.
Deleting all expired entries from the Special Callsign List
To delete all expired entries from the Special Callsign List, select entry by clicking in its leftmost cell (this cell is shaded) and then click the Delete from Special Callsign List panel's Expired list entries button. If any deleted entry specified a a Leaderboard tag, SpotCollector will offer you the opportunity to recompute the award progress of all Spot Database Entries.
Searching the Special Callsign List
You can locate a
callsign in the Special Callsign list by type the callsign into the Find
Callsign panel and striking the Enter key or clicking the Search
button.
If after adding a callsign to the Special Callsign List with a BadSource tag you wish to permanently delete all Spot Database Entries most recently spotted by that callsign, click the Delete from Spot Database panel's Entries last spotted by BadSource callsigns box.
The Leaderboard
panel on the Configuration window's Special Callsigns tab
provides settings that govern the processing of active leaderboard callsigns
- callsigns on the Special Callsign List that specify a tag of Leaderboard
.
The determination of whether a leaderboard callsign is "unworked" is made by searching the current log in DXKeeper for QSOs with that callsign made after 1900-01-01. You can change this Leaderboard Start Date by typing a new date in YYYY-MM-HH format in the Leaderboard panel's textbox. If the date you type is invalid, it will be displayed in red font.
If the Unworked bands are needed box is checked, Spot Database Entries for leaderboard callsigns that are unworked on the Entry's band (160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m, 2m) after the Leaderboard Start Date will be considered needed; the letter J will be inserted into the Entry's Need field.
If the Unworked modes are needed box is checked, Spot Database Entries for leaderboard callsigns that are unworked on the Entry's mode (SSB, CW, digital, user-specified digital mode family) after the Leaderboard Start Date will be considered needed; the letter K will be inserted into the Entry's Need field.
If the Unworked band-modes are needed box is checked, Spot Database Entries for leaderboard callsigns that are unworked on the Entry's band-mode combination (160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m, 2m)- (SSB, CW, digital, user-specified digital mode family) after the Leaderboard Start Date will be considered needed; the letter L will be inserted into the Entry's Need field.
A Spot Database Entry for a callsign that is needed for Leaderboard will be rendered using the Unworked DX Band or Mode font color.
The Special Callsigns List is contained within a database named SpecialCallsigns.mdb that resides in SpotCollector's Databases folder. If SpotCollector is (non-simultaneously) employed by more than one operator, all of these operators share the same Special Callsigns List. The Special Callsign Database panel on the Configuration window's Special Callsigns tab can be used to provide each operator with a private Special Callsign List by creating a private database for each in SpotCollector's Databases folder.
If the Operator Callsign specified on the Configuration window's General tab is K9UW, then clicking the Special Callsign Database panel's Make Unique to K9UW will
direct DXView to terminate (if it's running).
if the file K9UW_SpecialCallsigns.mdb is not present in SpotCollector's Databases folder, a copy of the SpecialCallsigns.mdb file is created and named K9UW_SpecialCallsigns.mdb; SpotCollector then uses the Special Callsign List in K9UW_SpecialCallsigns.mdb.
if the file K9UW_SpecialCallsigns.mdb is already present in SpotCollector's Databases folder, SpotCollector then uses the Special Callsign List in K9UW_SpecialCallsigns.mdb.
replaces the Make Unique to K9UW button with a Use with all Operator Callsigns button
After an operator-unique Special Callsign Database has been created, clicking the Special Callsign Database panel's Use with all Operator Callsigns button will
direct DXView to terminate (if it's running).
if the file SpecialCallsigns.mdb is not present in SpotCollector's Databases folder, a copy of the K9UW_SpecialCallsigns.mdb file is created and named SpecialCallsigns.mdb; SpotCollector then uses the Special Callsign List in SpecialCallsigns.mdb.
if the file SpecialCallsigns.mdb is already present in SpotCollector's Databases folder, SpotCollector then uses the Special Callsign List in SpecialCallsigns.mdb.
replaces the Use with all Operator Callsigns button with a Make Unique to K9UW button
You can then create a private Special Callsign List for another user by specifying his or her Operator Callsign and then clicking the Make Unique button.